Iranian FM claims country has never sought to ‘wipe Israel off the map’
(MENAFN) Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has rejected claims that Tehran seeks to destroy Israel, speaking in an interview with Fox News host Bret Baier, a month after heightened tensions between the two nations.
“It has never been Iran’s policy to wipe Israel off the map,” Araghchi stated in the interview aired on Monday. However, he reaffirmed Iran’s ongoing political and other forms of support for pro-Palestinian armed groups such as Hamas, Hezbollah, and the Houthis, arguing that they are fighting for what he described as a just cause. He criticized the US for supplying Israel with weapons used to kill Palestinians and others in the region.
Araghchi also dismissed accusations that Iran plotted to assassinate former US President Donald Trump and clarified that the chant “death to America” targets US government policies, not the American people. He warned against conflating extremist rhetoric with Iran’s official policies.
Iran, which does not maintain diplomatic relations with the US and views Israel as illegitimate, has long been hostile toward the Israeli state. Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei wrote in 2023 on X that the “Zionist regime will be wiped off the world’s map one day,” remarks that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called a national security threat as he ordered airstrikes during last month’s 12-day conflict with Iran.
Araghchi reiterated Iran’s position that it is not pursuing nuclear weapons and expressed willingness to resume indirect talks with the US. He emphasized that Iran will continue enriching uranium for civilian purposes, calling it a point of national pride.
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